As a popular form of entertainment, gambling has a rich history, and every player has the potential to become a winner in the blink of an eye. There is nothing else quite like the rush of adrenaline that can accompany the gambling experience! The gaming industry has grown exponentially for the past two decades, and the lure of gambling has drawn more and more people to the casinos as well as racetracks and Internet gambling web sites. Gambling is a fascinating pastime in many respects, and the list below will introduce you to some of the historical, statistical, and humorous tips and trivia that make this pastime special.

Did You Know?

1. At least 65,000,000 people in the United States play poker on a regular basis.
2. Playing cards as we know them today are still greatly influenced by the French, even though playing cards were invented in China. According to French lore, the cards with Spades represent royalty. Diamonds represent Merchants, Clubs represent Peasants, and Hearts represent the Clergy.
3. Former United States President Richard M. Nixon used money he had won playing poker in the Navy during World War 2 to finance his run for Congress in 1946. He must have been a good player, for it is never inexpensive to get involved in politics!
4. 87% of the people who visited Las Vegas during the year 1996 gambled.
5. Surveys reveal that 38% of the people who live in the United States have visited Las Vegas, typically to gamble.
6. The game called craps usually has some of the best bets in the casino.
7. Poker tournaments that take place on the Internet and on television have caused the Texas Hold’em variation of poker to have an enormous surge in popularity.
8. There is one slot machine in Las Vegas, Nevada, for every 8 people who live there. In 2005, the estimated population for the Las Vegas Valley is 2 million people. That’s a LOT of slot machines!

Gambling Bits and Pieces

9. Blackjack, or 21 as some people call it, continues to be the most popular table game in both online and offline casinos. It is also the game with the best odds.
10. You will see many versions of video poker in a casino, but every one of them is based upon the game of Five Card Draw.
11. In the English gambling dens during the 18th century, one employee had the unfortunate job of dice swallower. That’s right – dice swallower! He was to swallow the dice if and when a police officer raided the den.
12. If played correctly, video poker can offer some of the best odds in the casino.
13. The first slot machine in the world was invented by a Mr. Charles Fey in the year 1899. He was an automobile mechanic who wanted his customers to have something to amuse them while they waited for their cars.
14. Groucho Marx, one of the Marx Brothers, loved to play poker. He kept his poker money on him at all times, carrying it in a ‘grouch bag”. This is how he got the nickname of Groucho.
15. There are only two states in the United States that do not offer legalized gambling. These are Hawaii and Utah.
16. 57% of people in the United States bought a lottery ticket in the last 12 months. This fact, which was discovered by a Gallup Poll audit on gambling, proves that the lottery is the most popular form of gambling in the United States.
17. 68% of the folks in Las Vegas who gamble play the slot machines.

Fun and Interesting Facts

18. 24% of those living in the USA admit that they have participated in illegal gambling.
19. When studying the percentages of people who visit Las Vegas, it was discovered that the largest percentage group, 22%, was made up of senior citizens, those who are 65 and older.
20. One of the largest slot machine payouts ever recorded took place in Las Vegas back in 1998. A woman who had spent around $300 at a casino that day hit a $27.6 million dollar jackpot! No wonder slot machines are so popular!
21. Most historians have come to the conclusion that the legendary and colorful figure of the Wild West known as Wild Bill Hickock was not a very good poker player.
22. In the United States, it is not possible to take out a patent on any kind of gambling machine.
23. The card game of Texas Hold ‘Em was played for the very first time in a Texas city known as Robstown. This happened in the early 1900s. Texas Hold ‘Em was brought to Texas from Las Vegas by a small group of Texas gamblers.
24. Back in the 1970s, the average age of the people who enjoyed casino gambling ranged from 30 to 55. Nowadays, that age ranges from 17 all the way up to 70.
25. 80% of a survey group said that all gambling should be legal, and that casinos are perfectly okay.
26. A word of warning – You are not allowed to use your cell phone at a gaming table. This is generally true in all casinos. Of course, if you are playing at an online gaming table, you can do what you wish.
27. The largest casino in the world is located on the outskirts of Hartford, Connecticut in the United States. It is called the Foxwoods Casino.
28. Las Vegas has two nicknames – Las Vegas and Lost Wages.
29. Slot machines range from penny slots all the way up to those that range from $50 to $500 for each spin! These high-priced slots are usually located in what is called the ‘High Roller’ room or rooms of a casino. As a general rule, you will not see too many of these machines.

Gambling Facts and History

30. In 2007, more than $170 billion dollars was placed in bets in Las Vegas by gamblers. ‘The House’, or the casinos, won about $7 billion dollars of that money.
31. Online gaming is cool. Where else can you play video poker in your pajamas?
32. Casinos in Las Vegas are under no legal obligation to pay off any of their gambling debts.
33. The state of Nevada in the USA, home of Las Vegas, made gambling legal in the year 1931.

- During that same year, the Hoover Dam was being built by the US government.
- They didn’t want the men who were working on the dam to get involved with gambling, so an entire town, Boulder City, was built as a place for the dam workers to live.
- It was made illegal to gamble in Boulder City in the hopes that these workers would not squander the 50 cents an hour they were being paid.
- Today, Boulder City is the only city in the state of Nevada where it is illegal to gamble.

Fascinating Gambling Facts

34. To this day, the Italians and the French will still argue over who invented the game of Blackjack.
35. Millions of people are using the Internet to gamble 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
36. Those who play the slots online as well as offline will find that a majority of the time, they will win more often playing online.
37. In horseracing or any type of sports gambling, you need to win a percentage of about 52.4% of the bets you make in order to break even. This is because a commission is charged by the house on every bet.
38. There is no rhyme, rhythm, or pattern to playing the slots. It is almost impossible to predict when you are going to win.
39. When playing poker, the Dead Man’s Hand is Aces and Eights.
40. Most people who take a vacation to Las Vegas gamble for 4 hours a day, each day they are there.
41. Some say that the game of roulette was invented by a man called Blaise Pascal, a French mathematician and inventor. Others say he merely decided what order the numbers would go in.
42. And still others claim that the game of roulette came from China. Another group swears that roulette was invented by a group of Venetian monks! It appears that no one knows the real truth.
43. Even though a line of slot machines may look identical, every one of them looks different on the inside.
44. Dice are the oldest gaming tool available to use today.
45. Blackjack was banned in America back at the turn of the 19th century. Already a hugely popular game, it went underground as folks continued to play it illegally. The ban was lifted in 1939 as Nevada prepared to introduce Las Vegas to the world.
46. Craps is an American game, but was devised as a variation of a European game played in the 17th and 18th century that was known as ‘hazard’.
47. Legend has it that a fellow by the name of Francois Blanc made a bargain with Satan in order to find out the supposed ‘secrets’ of the roulette wheel. The basis of this legend is that when you add up all of the numbers on the wheel, you end up with the number 666, a number that has always represented the devil.
48. Slot machines are capable of revealing millions of possible combinations for every minute the game is played. This is because of the random number generator, or RNG, that is inside the machine.
49. Craps got its odd name from a nickname given to the French Creoles of New Orleans, Johnny Crapauds.
50. There are two types of dice, casino dice and ‘drugstore’ dice. Casino dice are precisely made by hand to insure that they are balanced and are a perfect cube. Drugstore dice are smaller than casino dice, and are made by machinery.

Gambling Facts and Figures

51. Historians have found documentation that tells us Napoleon really enjoyed playing a game or two of 21, or blackjack when he was in exile.
52. If you add up all of the opposing sides of one dice, you will always come up with a total of 7.
53. Roulette has rules that are easier to follow and understand than most other forms of gambling.
54. Video poker has been a part of the gambling world ever since the early 1970s.
55. The game of Baccarat was once played with Tarot cards.
56. Caribbean Stud Poker is a poker variation that is very popular worldwide. It was developed from a 16th century game called Primera.
57. There are 38 numbers on an American roulette wheel, 0, 00, 1 to 36.
58. There are 37 numbers of a French roulette wheel, 0 to 36.
59. Those who live in Nevada bet around $846 each year at the casinos.
60. The game of Baccarat was invented during the middle ages by Felix Falguiere, an Italian gambler.
61. One of the fastest growing forms of entertainment all over the world is casino gambling.
62. There are 11 different ways to make a wager in the game of roulette.
63. The British call slot machines ‘fruit machines’ and ‘one-armed bandits’.
64. The gambling game of strip poker originated in New Orleans, Louisiana around 1830.
65. Backgammon is the oldest recorded game in history. This game, which originated in Mesopotamia, is called by many different monikers.
66. Gambling has become a $40 billion dollar per year industry in just the United States alone.

Things You Probably Never Knew About Gambling

67. Blackjack tables have a little in common with baseball games. The seats at the table that are around the dealer are known as ‘bases’, and are known as first, second, and third base.
68. Baccarat came to Las Vegas in 1959 at the old Sands hotel. It probably was not well like by the hotel owners, as the Sands ended up losing $250,000 the first night on the baccarat tables!
69. There are three different varieties of baccarat. They are called ‘Chemin de fer’, or railway, ‘Baccarat Banque, or Adeux Tableaux, and Punto Banto, which means North American Baccarat.
70. Blackjack team play was invented by a man known as Al Franesco.
71. The zeros on roulette wheels are called the ‘House Edge’. The zeros were originally added to the wheel by its inventor in order to increase the house odds.
72. Caribbean Stud Poker found its way to the United States in the 18th century. It first surfaced in Louisiana, and then spread west.
73. Nowadays, you can learn how to play Craps on your Iphone!

74. A pair of dice has several nicknames. They can be called ‘Boxcars’, ‘Snake Eyes’, ‘Mississippi Marbles’, or ‘Memphis Dominoes’.
75. The fastest growing industry in the world in Indian gaming, which is a $27 billion per year industry in just the United States.
76. The name ‘Blackjack’ was derived from a variation of the original game rules, in which a player who had the black Jack of Spades received a payout.
77. The worst roulette bet, and why? It’s known as the 5 number bet, 0, 00, 1, 2, 3, and once made, the house edge jumps from 5.26% to 7.89%.

78. The game of Baccarat gets its name from the worst hand possible, zero.
79. The original name of Blackjack was ‘Ving-et-un’, which translates into the word ‘blackjack’.
80. The largest win at an online casino was $1, 683,524.64.
81. A sailor had 27 wins in a row playing Craps at a Las Vegas casino back in the 1950s. The odds of this happening are 12,467,890 to 1!
82. The game of Bingo originated in Italy during the year 1530.
83. In Australia and New Zealand, the term “Housie” is used for Bingo.

Gambling Trivia You Never Would Have Guessed

84. In the entire time the game of Keno has been played, a prize of $500,000 has been won four times, two times by the same player.
85. Roulette is the oldest of all casino games.
86. Keno was used in ancient China to raise money that was used to build the Great Wall of China.
87. Keno came to the United States in the 19th century.
88. It is possible to come up with 1,474, 200 different Bingo cards.
89. Playing cards as we know them today first appeared in Europe sometime during the 1300s.
90. Modern Bingo was devised from a game known as Beano. When a player mistakenly called out “Bingo” instead of “Beano”, the name caught on everywhere.
91. A little more than 70% of the high rollers in Vegas who enjoy playing Baccarat are Asian bankers and Asian industrialists.
92. Keno goes back to the Han Dynasty in Chinese history between 205 and 187 B.C.
93. In South America and Europe, the game of Baccarat goes by the name of Punto Banco. Punto Banco is usually a high roller game.
94. The age of the youngest person to win the World Series of Poker main event was a tender 24.
95. It is possible to make 2,598,960 poker hands from a standard 52-card deck.
96. The odds of being dealt the hand known as a ‘pocket pair’ in Poker are 16 to 1.
97. There are only 4 possible Royal Flush hands in a standard 52-card deck.
98. The odds of getting a Royal Flush hand are 649,740 to 1.
99. More than 70 million decks of standard playing cards are sold each and every year.
100. That sandwich you ate yesterday got its name from a poker player. The Earl of Sandwich loved poker so much he was loathe to leave the game table, even to eat. So, he would have someone bring him bread and some meat, and the sandwich was born!
101. The nickname for a pair of 8s in the game of poker is Pocket Snowmen.

While most people enjoy casino gambling, sports betting, lottery and bingo playing for the fun and excitement it provides, others may experience gambling as an addictive and distractive habit. Statistics show that while 85 percent of the adult population in the US enjoys some type of gambling every year, between 2 and 3 percent of will develop a gambling problem and 1 percent of them are diagnosed as pathological gamblers.

Where can you draw the line between harmless gambling to problem gambling? How can you tell if you or your friend are compulsive gamblers? Here you can find answers to these questions and other questions regarding problem gambling and gambling addiction.

What is the Meaning of Problem Gambling?

Problem gambling or compulsive gambling is defined as an uncontrollable urge to gamble despite the destructive effect of gambling on the gamblers life and despite feelings of guilt and remorse. Problem gambling tends to have a negative effect on the gamblers financial state, relationships and daily life. Severe cases of problem gambling can be defined as pathological gambling.

Am I a Compulsive Gambler?

1) Do you gamble until your last penny runs out?

2) Do you gamble to win back your former losses or debts?

3) Did you ever had to borrow money to continue gamble?

4) Did your gambling habit ever made you lie to your friends or family?

5) Did you ever skip work or other obligation to gamble?

6) Do you tend to gamble to forget about your personal problems or to celebrate happy occasions?

7) Does gambling have a negative affect on your daily life or relationships?

If you have answered yes on at least one of the questions listed above, then you have a problem.

Can Anyone Become a Compulsive Gambler?

Theoretically, yes. Any gambler can develop gambling problem regardless to the type of gambling he is occupied with, the amount of money and time he is spending on gambling. Researches show that slot machines that can be found in bars and convenient stores are the most addictive type of gambling activity, while lottery draws and bingo games are located on the other end of the scale. Gambling addiction is an emotional problem; its symptoms, causes and treatments are similar to any other form of addiction.

How Can I treat Gambling Addiction?

1) Group Therapy:

Gamblers Anonymous offers a 12 step self help program similar to the one offered to alcohol addicts in Alcoholics Anonymous. Group therapy also offers gambling addicts advice and support from professional counselors and other gambling addicts in different phases of their recovery process. Gambler Anonymous centers are available in more than 1,200 locations statewide.

2) Individual Therapy:

Cognitive or behavior therapy can help gambling addicts to identify their unaware thinking and acting patterns, which led them to gamble compulsively, and to replace them with controllable and healthier ways of thinking.

3) Psychiatric Medication:

It has recently been proven that antidepressant medications from the family of SSRIs, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors can be affective in treatment of gambling addicts.

As the editor of a guide to online casinos Jack Reider has had to deal with gambling addictions in all forms. He has helped users and Gamblers Anonymous organizations connect.

A lot of beginner bettors who try to decide which bookmaker to choose, first take into account the quality of the free bets. If we take a closer look at the terms and conditions established by the sportsbooks, it is obvious that it’s not about free money at all. Let’s see some examples of the existing free bets on the market.

1. The first example describes a bookmaker who offers a 25 Free Bet for opening new accounts. Upon a deeper analysis, it is shown that first bettors need to place a bet with their own money having odds of at least 2.00. After this step, the bookmaker will offer a promo up to the above-mentioned amount, that is 25.

In this first example, the sportsbook suggests a certain pathway for the inexperienced bettor, who isn’t too much preoccupied at this time as much with the chances of winning, but instead with the value of the free bet.

The obvious disadvantage of selecting this bookmaker is the necessity of matching the bookmaker’s investment with the bettor’s own investment. The bookmakers often direct players to place bets with lower chances of gain.

The analysis further revealed that after taking the 25 in promo cash, the player would still be forced to make another bet of up to an amount of 100 from his own money if he wants to make future withdrawals.

2. Some of the sportsbooks are even more subtle and will attract customers with big free bets, as big as up to 250.

Even if it appears to be completely free, first the player will need to make a 50 bet to have it matched by the bookmakers. The second step includes a series of 4 bets of 50, in order to get a free bet of 50. The strategy continues in this way until the amount of 250 is achieved. So, the calculations show that only if a bettor makes bets of 1,000 of their own money, then he will receive 250 as free bets. There is one stipulated condition which says that the bets must have at least odds of 1.50.

3. The third example in our analysis is a bookmaker who gives bets up to 200, on the condition that they will be matched by an identical deposited sum of money and played on matches with odds of at least 1.50. A similar strategy as one of the above follows. Players need to rebet another three times the total deposited amount and the bonus in order to withdraw any money.

4. The fourth example refers to the risk-free bet, which is similarly delusive. Players will only receive this free bet provided that they lose their first bet. This means that players get their own money back, up to a certain limit of money.

The name of the bet comes from the fact that the risk involves the players’ money and not the bookies’ money. Thus, the bookmaker attracts the players by offering a risk-free bet of 10, but first they need to make a bet with odds of minimum 2.00 and only after that they’re entitled to receive the bonus.

To sum up, we can only say that it is advisable to get accustomed to the stipulated terms and conditions, to analyse more options offered by different bookmakers and only then to choose the most appropriate for your own needs.

While many of the gambling facts you may have picked up in Las Vegas can be useful in online gambling it’s important that you realize there are some critical differences. But with a knowledge of the facts surrounding your chosen game, and armed with some gambling tips from experienced online players, you will find online gambling not only a fascinating and exciting adventure bit also an opportunity to turn your gambling hobby into a profitable venture.

Critical Rules for Every Game

1. Never chase after your losses. Don’t increase your bets because you’re losing and want to get even; only increase your bets as part of a pre-determined strategy.
2. Don’t gamble at any game that you don’t understand. Learn it first.
3. Don’t gamble and drink at the same. It’s hard enough to win at gambling even without dulled senses.
Money Management – General Guidelines
4. You will lose more often than you win and the longer you play the more likely that fact is. And it’s true whether you’re talking about hands of blackjack, rolls of the roulette wheel or throws of the dice.
5. The key to winning is to maximize your wins and to minimize you losses.
6. Learn and memorize the odds at the particular game you have chosen to play as well as the best strategies to use in an effort to maximize your winnings at that particular game.
7. Never gamble with “dear” money; only gamble with “excess” money. In other words, never gamble with money that you will need, or may need, to pay your everyday living expenses.
8. If you’re playing against other players online this is doubly important. The minute you start gambling with “dear” money the other player will sense your heightened stress and play accordingly – often bullying you out of a bet because they know you are more tentative with your “dear” money.
9. Set a stop loss amount and stick to it. Divide your total gambling bankroll into four separate amounts. Divide each of those amounts into four smaller amounts. If you lose one of the smaller amounts, change tables or games or just take a break. If you lose your entire first allotment, stop gambling for the day.
10. Be disciplined and avoid the gambler’s demise of going into your next allotment because you feel like your luck “just has to turn around.”
11. Plan ahead. When you start a gambling session determine the amount that you want to win (be realistic) and when you reach that point put the money away and walk.
12. When you are winning, draw some money occasionally from your gambling bankroll and put it into a “do not touch” bankroll to protect that portion from further risk.
13. No money management system will ever overcome the house advantage over the long term. You will always lose more often than you win. The key is that you must win more big bets and lose more small bets.

Money Management – Positive Progression Systems

14. A Positive Progression System is one in which you increase the amount of your bets when you win and decrease the amounts of your bets when you lose. To use this system properly you must establish a “standard” betting unit.
15. Your “standard” betting unit should be a comfortable percentage of the gambling bankroll that you will be working with for a particular gambling session. For example, if your session’s bankroll is $100, you might make your “standard” betting unit $10.00. This way you would be able to play at least 10 betting events before running out of funds even if you lost all 10 events in a row.
16. These systems allow you to win relatively large amounts during a hot streak while helping to minimize your losses during cold streaks.
17. A common example of this strategy is to add one-half of the amounts you win to your next bet. For example, at blackjack if you win a hand with your “standard” betting unit of $10.00 you would add $5.00 to the bet on the next hand for a total bet of $15.00. If you win that hand you would add $7.50 to the $15.00 for a bet of $22.50 on the next hand. When you eventually lose a hand, return to your “standard” betting unit of $10.00 on the next hand and start the system all over. Of course in practice these increases of 50% will be approximate.
18. Another more complicated system is to always keep your bankroll divided into a certain number of units and then bet one unit on each event. As you win, your total bankroll becomes bigger so each unit will grow and you’ll be betting larger amounts. As you lose, your units, and bets, become smaller.
19. Establish a system for drawing some of the winnings from your gambling bankroll occasionally to put it into your “do not touch” bankroll. For example, when you double your bankroll you might take one-half of the winnings to put into the “do not touch” bankroll. If you experience a long winning streak using a Positive Progression System the winnings can grow dramatically.

Money Management – Negative Progression Systems

20. A Negative Progression System is one in which you increase the amount of your bets when you lose and decrease the amounts of your bets when you win. Again, to use this system properly you must establish your “standard” betting unit.
21. The most common negative progression system is the Martingale System. Here you double the amount of your bet if you lose and return to your “standard” betting unit when you win. For example, at blackjack if you bet $10.00 and lose you would bet $20.00 on the next hand. If you win that hand you would then reduce your bet to the “standard” $10.00 bet for the following hand. In all gambling, the Martingale system will always fail in the long run.
22. This system can be very frustrating because during a hot streak you are winning only your “standard” betting unit. And during cold streaks you are continually losing bigger and bigger amounts.
23. Remember, draw some money occasionally from your gambling bankroll winnings and put it into a “do not touch” bankroll.

Playing Roulette

24. American roulette is one of the worst casino games that you can play because the house advantage under standard rules is 5.26% or higher.
25. European roulette offers a lower house advantage under standard rules of 2.7% because there are fewer slots with only one “0″ as opposed to the “0″ and “00″ in American roulette.
26. All bets on in American roulette give the house an advantage of 5.26% with one exception: the “0″, “00″, 1, 2, 3 combination bet gives the house a much larger 7.89% advantage.
27. All roulette betting systems rely on the inaccurate assumption that the result of previous spins can predict future results. Unless the system is defective or fixed, each spin carries the same odds as every other spin.
28. The most popular betting system at roulette is the negative progression system known as Martingale (see #17). As in all other games, the Martingale used in roulette will always fail in the long run.
29. Because of the heavy house advantage if you are playing not just for amusement but to win money you might as well take a shot at the higher payoff bets and hope that you get lucky.
30. Try a modified positive progression system at roulette. Divide the amount you are willing to lose at one roulette session into 35 “standard” betting units. Pick one number and bet one unit on that number (must be at least equal to the table minimum bet). Continue playing one unit on that same number until you either win or run out of your 35 unit bankroll. If you win, bet two units on the same number and continue betting two units on that number until you either win or lose your bankroll. If you win again, walk away!
31. Roulette is a relatively slow moving game compared to other online games, so it should take you a longer time to lose your bankroll.
32. Do not play roulette as a way to win money; the odds are too heavy in favor of the house. Play roulette only as a way to have fun and pass the time without losing a lot of money quickly.

Playing Baccarat

33. Baccarat is one of the easiest casino games to play and offers a relatively low advantage to the house of just 1.06%.
34. There may be as many as 12 to 14 players at a table, with the role as dealer passed around the table much as the dice are passed around a craps table.
35. All players may bet on each hand and the bets are either on the “player”, on the “dealer” or on a tie. With the exception of the tie bet, baccarat is much like betting heads or tails on the flip of a coin.
36. Neither banker nor player can make any decisions regarding play; the rules of the game stipulate what must be done with every hand and a house “dealer” supervising the game will direct the play accordingly.
37. Winning bets on the player or the dealer both pay even money, minus a 5% commission paid either at the time of the bet or when the player leaves the table.
38. Winning bets on a tie usually pay 8 to 1, again minus a 5% commission.
39. In an 8-deck game, the house advantage is slightly less for a “banker bet” and dramatically higher for a “tie bet”, so it seems most logical to bet only on the banker.
40. As in all online gambling, card counting is meaningless because the deck(s) is usually shuffled after each hand in baccarat.

Playing Blackjack

41. Blackjack offers one of the lowest house advantages at around .60%, but expert players can actually create situations where the player has an advantage.
42. For the serious player there are many complex strategies that require time and dedication to master.
43. Never just sit down cold at a table. Blackjack tends to be a game of streaks, so watch a table for a few hands to determine if it is a hot or cold table for the players.
44. A “soft” hand is a hand with an Ace that can be counted as either a 1 or an 11 in value and still keep the hand’s total at 21 or less.
45. A “hard” hand is a hand with an Ace that must be counted as 1 in value in order to keep the hand’s total at 21 or less.
46. A beginning or social player should stick to the generally accepted rules of the basic blackjack strategy.
47. Never be afraid to take a card that might bust you. Always play the odds; don’t let the fear of a bust stop you from taking a card when you know it’s the option with the highest probability of success no matter how small that probability may be.
48. Read one of the many excellent books on counting cards if you are serious about blackjack and willing to spend a lot of time practicing and perfecting your play. As in all online gambling, card counting is of little value because the deck(s) is usually shuffled after each hand. In blackjack, however, with many players at a table it may be beneficial for that one hand.

Playing Blackjack to Win – The Best Moves

49. Always split Aces and 8s as the odds are good that the two new hands will be dramatically better than either the soft 12 or hard 16.
50. Stand with a hard 12 or higher when the dealer is showing a 4, 5 or 6. The odds are good that the dealer may bust on the next card or that you will bust if you take another card.
51. Take a hit on anything below a hard 17 when the dealer is showing a 7 through an Ace. Don’t be afraid to bust!
52. Always double your bet when you’re dealt an 11.

Playing Blackjack to Lose – The Worst Moves

53. Never split 10s because you may very well be trading one excellent hand for two mediocre or bad hands.
54. Never take insurance since the odds significantly favor the dealer. Even if you’re holding a blackjack on the hand yourself you will be trading a high probability of winning a 1.5 to 1 payout in exchange for a guaranteed even money payout.
55. Never stand with a soft hand that totals less than a soft 17.

Playing Craps

56. Craps is an entertaining and fast paced dice game that offers some of the best odds for players, as low as a 1.41% house advantage and even lower for some bets.
57. Craps can be a very complicated game so if you are going to be a serious player read and absorb a good systems book.
58. Establish a “standard” betting unit that is lower than your “standard” betting unit in most other casino games because in craps it’s easy to get a lot of money on the table quickly during a long roll.

Playing Craps to Win – The Best Bets

59. If you just want to enjoy the game but play like you know what you’re doing, try a very simple strategy starting with a new roller.
60. The Don’t Pass line offers relatively good odds with just a 1.40% house advantage.
61. The Pass Line also offers relatively good odds with just a 1.41% house advantage.
62. Place a minimum amount of your “standard” unit bet on either the Pass Line or the Don’t Pass Line and save the majority of the unit to “take the odds” after the point is established. In doing this you will get true odds on that backup bet with no house advantage at all.
63. Place a bet on the six or the eight in dollar amounts that are a multiple of six. The house advantage on this bet is only 1.52% and if the number is rolled you’ll win $7.00 for every $6.00 you bet.

Playing Craps to Lose – The Worst Bets

64. All of these bets offer impressive payouts but even those high payouts are not enough to offset the big house advantage.
65. The “Any 7″ bet, where you bet that the next roll will be a 7, provides the worst odds on the table with a house advantage of almost 17%.
66. The “Any Craps” bet, where you bet that the next roll will be a 2, 3 or 12, also offers bad odds with a house advantage of just over 11%.
67. The “Hardway” bets and the “Big 6″ and “Big 8″ bets are also poor odds with a house advantage of from 9% to 11%.

Playing Texas Hold-’Em Poker

68. The more players there are at the table the higher the odds that at least one other player has a strong pocket hand, so be more cautious with your pre-flop betting.
69. Be careful betting a high pre-flop card unless you have a good kicker as well.
70. Determine early the types of players at your table – aggressive or cautious – and remember and adjust your determinations throughout the game.
71. At games where notes are allowed make a note on any player whose tendencies you identify. You may see them later at another table.
72. Bet or raise with a good hand; don’t let other players get free cards that might make their marginal hand into a strong one.
73. Don’t be predictable. Vary your play to confuse your opponents as to whether you are an aggressive or cautious player.
74. Don’t bluff often and try to establish a cautious reputation at the table so that when you do bluff your opponents will think you must have a good hand and be more reluctant to call your bluff.

Playing Slots – The Facts

75. The payback percentages for online slot machines are generally better than the payback percentages in live casinos.
76. The numbers revealed on a spin of the wheels on a slot machine do not show up in any order. The numbers are being selected constantly, not just when the handle is pulled. The numbers to be displayed on the wheels are randomly selected at the instant that the handle is pulled or the spin button is pushed.
77. It’s impossible to tell when a machine is about to hit.
78. A machine can go for very long periods of time without a significant jackpot or it could register several large jackpots in a row. It’s all random selection.
79. The number of coins you choose to play affects only the amount of your bet; it does not influence the selection of the numbers.
80. Slot machines can be set with different payback percentages as well as different hit percentages.
81. Payback is the percentage of the money bet that the machine will return to the players over the long term. It usually ranges from 75% to as much as 99%.
82. The hit percentage is the percent of the time that the machine will payout some money on a spin. This can vary widely, from under 10% to over 90%.
83. Machines that are set to pay off frequently will usually have more small payout amounts and fewer large jackpots.
84. Machines with a high hit percentage (those that are set to pay off frequently) are normally referred to as “loose” slots.
85. Machines with a low hit percentage (those that are set to seldom pay off) will usually have more large jackpots and few small payout amounts.
86. Machines with a low hit percentage (those that are set to pay off infrequently) are normally referred to as “tight” slots.
87. There is no universally accepted “good” slot machine; it depends on the individual player and whether he would prefer many small payouts or a chance for one large jackpot.

Playing Slots – Strategies

88. Because of the random nature of each individual machine no gaming strategy will work over the long run on slots.
89. Before you start a gambling session on slots determine the amount you want to win and resolve to withdraw your cash when you reach that goal.
90. Choose an online site that does not have a wagering requirement that must be met before you can withdraw your money.
91. With all other factors being equal, choose the online site that offers the biggest bonus to new players.
92. Because the house has an advantage in slots, playing with small bets for long periods is a sure-fire strategy to lose.
93. The key to improving your odds of winning lies in knowing which type of slot machine to play.
94. When selecting a slot to play, avoid those with huge jackpots; the best odds of winning lie in the machines with small jackpots because their most frequent payoffs will be of medium size.
95. Play only on small jackpot machines that offer as many beneficial bonus features as possible.
96. Look for machines that offer wild symbols as well as multipliers to improve your odds of winning.
97. Look for slots offering second-screen bonuses or free spins to improve your chances of winning.
98. Look for slots offering what is known as the “gamble” feature where your wins can be gambled for double-or-nothing for as many as five times.
99. When you reach your pre-determined target for winnings STOP and cash in your chips.

Finally, there are two critical rules to all gambling, including online gambling, that you must follow and these rules bear repeating:

100. Never gamble with “dear” money; only gamble with “excess” money. In other words, never gamble with money that you will need, or may need, to pay your everyday living expenses.
101. Set a limit to the amount of money you are willing to lose, and can afford to lose, and stick to it.

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